The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-08-26
Ear,t1 xud gcnseho16.
BREEDING DAIRY cows.
cass Of passures..canada rhisues..Rys
In Wheat..Fs.m and Housshold Hints,

In Wheat..Fafm and fiousehold flints,
The art Of breeding is governed bya
few rules which are simple and easy to
understand. The first and most inn
portant Of these is that slike produces
like" by which is meant that animals
Of certain peculiarities Of form, color.
character, disposition, habit and quail
ity, when bred together, reproduce
their own characteristics IN their
progeny. This rule has been SO uni
formly and constantly proved by prac-
tice, and is so reasonable and natural,
that it may be taken as a safe guide in
the rearing of dairy COWS. Every per-
son may see it proved by practice
every day Of his life. There is more or
less of family likeness in persons as
we'll as in inferior animals. The prog
eny of a JERSEYS always a Jersey, and
the same is true Of all other breeds. A
good, rich mixer produces calves that
are good mixers. provided the bull
is also of a good milking family. It is
the fashion TO assert that only pure
breeds have this physiological power
of propagating their own character
is,ics. All animals possess this power
to some degree, however, and by a
careful course of selection this procliv-
ity may be encouraged, developed and
strengthened until the breed, as it is
then called, has this power in an emf.
nent degree and the progeny partskes
very closely of the character of the
parents. This is tho point to be aimed
ut by dairymen, who should first learn
by careful tests which are the best COWS,
then feed them literally to develop their
qualities to the fullest extent, breed
them to males of known hereditary
excellence. and pursue tho same
plan with their progeny. The
male should lie selected from some
pure breed, not h%aphazard, but after
careful investigation of its antcccdents.
and especially of its parentage. Milk
ing quality is tho only point to be con-
sidcred, for this alone brings the most
profit desired. A dairyman should look
to his special business for his profit.
and never be induced to compete with
professional breeders in the rearing of
stock for sale. Hundreds of dairymcp
have been misled into disastrous losses
curing the progress of what might be-
called the Jersey speculation, during
seven or eight years past, by purchas-
ing at high prices animals belongipgto
certain families which were popular at
the time, but whose popularity was
soon cclipsed by new favorites. Ii
matters not what breed is chosen. If
it is the Shorthorn, the Holstein-Frie-
sian, the jersey, the Guernsey, or Ayr
shire, as good u bull as can be afforded
should be purchased, and this may
be safely done if the pedigree is right,
and the milking of his dam and gran.
dams has been found satisfactory. II
is more profitable to pay a large price
for a good animal than a small price
for q poor one. The bull is half the
herd, as regards the calves, and more
than that when it is procured for
the purpose of improving native
stock. The spare male calves
may be easily disposed OF to neighbors
who arc not SO particular, or not so ex-
perlenced in this respect, for some ad.
vance on tho common stock. and will
in good part repay the cost of the sire.
Breed is undoubtedly dependent upon
feed. Feeding and training have given
the value to the breed, and this value
must be kept up by feeding and train
ing. This mistake is often made OF
getting q pure bred animal and sub.
jecting it to all the careless manage
ment which is given to the common,
stock, and expecting that this animal.
by virtue of its parents character, a
lift up the common herd, and double
or treble Its value in a few years. Such
Il hope is doomed to disappointment
from the outset. When. a pure animsl
is brought into a herd its care should
be ut least equal to that which it has
been used to, and the very same sys-
tenn of feeding and general manage
ment should be followed with the
whole herd. If this practice is carried
out, tho desired end will surely be
reached.-Henry Stewart, in Agricul.
turist for August.